Traditional economies

The oldest and until fairly recent times by far the most common way of solving economic problem was that of tradition. In traditional societies, people use methods of pro­duction and distribution that were devised in the distant past

and which have become the accepted ways of doing things by a long process of trial and error.

In these societies we find that the division of land among the families in the village of tribe, the methods and times of planting and harvesting, the selection of crops, and the way in which the produce is distributed among the dif­ferent groups are all based upon tradition. Year by year, lit­tle is changed; indeed a change in working procedures may well be regarded as an affront to memory of one's ancestors or as an offence against the gods.

The basic economic problems do not arise as problems to be discussed and argued about. They have all been decided long ago. One follows the path that one was born to follow; a son follows in the footsteps of his father and uses the same skills and tools. A caste system provides agood example of the rigidity of a traditional society. The production problems (i.e. What? and How?) are solved by using land as it has always been used and the worker carry­ing out the traditional skills according to his or her fixed place in social structure. The distribution problem (i.e. For Whom?) is solved in a similar manner. There will be time-honoured methods of sharing out the produce of the harvest and hunt. The elders, the heads of families, the women and the children will receive shares according to ancient custom.

Traditional solutions to the economic problems of pro­duction and distribution are encountered in primitive agri­cultural and pastoral communities. But, even in advanced countries, tradition still plays some part in determining how the economy works. We are familiar with industries in which it is customary, for the son to follow his father into a trade or profession, and in Britain equal pay for women did not obtain legal sanction until the 1970-s.

Ex. 3. Give Russian equivalents to the following:

economic society, a mechanism of survival, the tasks of production and distribution, fairly recent times, in the distant past, the accepted ways, a long process of trial and error, working procedures, the same skills and tools, in a similar manner, equal pay, legal sanction

Ex. 4. Give English equivalents to the following:

механизм выживания, задачи производства и рас­пределения, наиболее распространенный путь ре­шения экономических проблем, в далеком про­шлом, основные экономические проблемы, таким же путем, согласно древнему обычаю, в передовых странах, равная оплата труда женщин

Ex. 5. Make up sentences using the following words:

1. these, possible, to, group, is, different, structures, three, into, categories,

broad, it, economic.

2. way, economic, the, oldest, solving, tradition, that, was, problems, of, of.

3. have, been, all, they, ago, decided, long.

4. in, son, footsteps, his, of, a, father, follows, the.

5. is, distribution, solved, problem, manner, in, similar, the, a.

Ex. 6. Insert the correct prepositions if necessary:

1.... fact,... spite... the appearance... great variety, it is possible to group these

structures... four broad categories.

2. These types... economic organization are usually described... Traditional

economies, Market economies, Command economies and Mixed economies.

3. The oldest and until fairly recent times... far the most common way in

solving economic problems was that... tradition.

4.... traditional societies, people use methods... production and distribution that

were devised... the distant past.

5.... these societies we find that the division... land... the families... the village

or tribe, the methods and times... planting and harvesting all based...

tradition.

6. Year … year, little is changed.

7. The basic economic problems do not arise … prob­lems to be discussed and

argued....

8. There will be time-honoured methods … sharing …

9. … Britain equal pay … women did not obtain legal sanction … the 1970s.

Ex. 7. Open the brackets using the correct forms of the verb:

1. Economic society...itself as a means whereby people are able to carry out

the tasks of production and dis­tribution (to present).

2. If we look at the very different political and social structures and the way in

which these systems... (to develop) over the years, we are tempted to say that

people... (to make) use of and... (to make) use of, a very great varieties of

economic systems.

3. These basic types of economic organisation... (to describe) as Traditional

economies, Market economies, Command economies and Mixed economies.

4. In traditional societies, people... (to use)_:methods of production and

distribution that... (to devise) in the distant past and which... (to become) the

accepted ways of doing things by a long process of trial and error.

5. A change in working procedures may well … (to regard) as an affront to

memory of one's ancestors.

6. The basic economic problems do not... (to arise) as problems...(to discuss)

and... (to argue) about.

7. Traditional solutions to the economic problems... (to encounter) in primitive

agricultural and pastoral communities.

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